Port Nelson welcomes its biggest vessel
The 188-metre Sirena arrived on Wednesday morning, bringing 688 passengers and 373 crew into Nelson for a one-day stopover.
In terms of passenger numbers, the vessel is understood to be the biggest ever to berth in the city.
The vessel's short visit marks a watershed few months for the city in its quest to become a high-end fixture for international travellers.
The visitors' presence was evident throughout the city on Wednesday, with buses and guided walking tours showing the sights of the area, while cafes along Trafalgar St were filled with overseas guests sampling the region's hospitality.
Others were spotted taking an interest in the property market outside several real estate offices.
The Sirena's visit brings to an end a busy summer season, with four super yachts berthed in Nelson as well as the eight cruise ships.
The port welcomed its biggest-ever cruise vessel, the 225m-long Europa 2 with 515 passengers, prior to Christmas, as well as the 43,188 ton "floating apartment" The World for an overnight berth.
A large part of the recent increase in cruise ships stems from extensive behind the scenes efforts from local agencies to raise the region's profile as a cruise destination, targeting higher spending cruises.
Nelson may soon welcome 20 cruise ships a year as work continues to increase the city's potential as a destination.
Speaking in February, Port Nelson's general manager business development Eugene Beneke said that bringing high-end vessels to Nelson offered a niche stopover away from the "main highway" of cruise routes around the country.
"We are, from a port perspective, limited in draught so we can't physically bring in the large P&O-style vessels with 3000 passengers, so we like to limit ourselves to 1200 to 1500 passengers maximum.
"Within that target cruise market there are quite a few out there that can address those numbers," Beneke said.
Bookings for next season are already being locked in, including the 900-passenger Crystal Symphony on February 25, 2018.
Further into the future, boutique cruise line Azamara Club Cruises has unveiled their NZ and Australian itineraries for 2019, which will include a maiden call to Nelson in late January.
Written by Tim O’Connell. First appeared on Stuff.co.nz.